Mechanic&#39;s creeper



July 19, 1938. F. c. WQELFER, JR v 2,124,389

MECHANIC S CREEPER Fild March 11, 1937 Patented July 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANIC S CREEPER Application March 11, 1937, Serial No. 130,334

1 Claim.

This invention relates to automobile and truck servicing equipment and is particularly directed to an improved mechanics creeper or device for supporting a mechanic in a recumbent position enabling him to get under the motor car or truck and facilitating his movements for work on the under parts thereof.

These devices as heretofore constructed have been made in a number of pieces and accordingly have been expensive tomanufacture, have broken up in service and having not been comfortable for the mechanic unless highly upholstered or padded.

The present invention consists of a creeper or wheeled supporting device for the mechanic which overcomes all of the above recited disadvantages. I

Other objects and further advantages will be more fuly apparent from a description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved creeper.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken longitudinally of the device on lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 33, Figure 2.

An embodiment of the invention will be found in the following structure. A single sheet of metal indicated at 5, is pressed into the desired shape incorporating a downturned marginal flange 6 having a rolled lower edge or bead 1. The downturned flange greatly stiifens the plate structure and. the rolled edge or bead supplements the stiffening effect of the downturned flange. Furthermore, the bead provides a bumper (see Figure 1) extending outwardly from the body of the creeper and resisting damage to the creeper such as would result from rough handling or bumping of the creeper into various objects in the garage.

The central area of the plate is depressed, as at 8, providing a well rounded concavity extremely comfortable to the mechanic and especially adapted to fit the contours of the body. This depression depends substantially to the plane of the lower edge of the downturned flange and incorporates drainage apertures 9. The depression further stifiens the creeper body.

Casters ID are provided at each corner of the device and are attached to the underside thereof by bolts l I, as will be apparent from the drawing. These casters are virtually invisible. The creeper is lowslung and rides very close to the floor. For this purpose the casters have a height slightly greater than the height of the creeper body, or specifically the flange thereof just sufficient to cause the creeper to clear the floor.

A headrest I2 is provided on the upper surface of the body at one end of the depression. The headrest consists of a block of wood 13 having padding M on its upper surface and a sheet of leather l5 enclosing the padding and wooden block. This headrest assembly is held on the creeper by means of screws l6.

Thus it. will be seen that with the exception of the headrest, the creeper has no extraneous parts which might become detached. It also has a highly symmetrical appearance and resists damage to a considerable extent due to the provision of the bumper as afforded by the bead. This bead also serves as a rub rail and protects the finish of the creeper.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A mechanics creeper comprising an elongated rectangular body formed from a single piece of sheet metal and including a downwardly extended flange around its edge, said flange including a bead turned outwardly along the lower edge of the flange forming a bumper, said body further including a depression disposed lengthwise thereof, the bottom of said depression including a flat horizontal portion, said body having a horizontal marginal portion around said depression, a caster supporting each corner of the body with the lower edge of the downwardly turned flange and the flat portion of the depression just clear of the floor but sufficiently close enough thereto for causing the fiat portion and the lower edge of the flange to be engaged upon and supported by the floor in the event that a car runs over the creeper, and a head rest pad at one end of the creeper on a horizontal end marginal portion thereof.

FRANK C. WOELFER, JR. 

